In a recent interview with Football Insider, former Premier League forward Gabriel Agbonlahor has urged Aston Villa to cash in on Bjorn Engels this summer. Agbonlahor said,
“When you sign a player that doesn’t really play you’re always going to make a loss.
“You’re always going to lose money, you’re never going to make that money back.
“He’s going to have to have a think about where he’s going to go.
“I’m sure Aston Villa will try and get as much money as they can or not sell him.
“Maybe if they can recoup £4million or £5million, they’ll let him go.
“He’s a good defender but in the Premier League you get found out if you don’t have the pace.”
Engels’ Aston Villa Career Has Come To A Standstill
Engels has endured a frustrating season at Villa Park as he has often found himself on the fringes of Dean Smith’s squad. He is yet to make a senior appearance for the Villans this season and has also missed a few matches due to multiple injuries.
Since arriving from Stade Reims in the summer of 2019, the Belgian defensive ace has participated in 19 matches for the West Midlands outfit, scoring one goal in the process. Engels managed to impress with his performances last season when he averaged 0.6 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, and 5.0 clearances per 90 minutes in the Premier League. He has even been accurate when distributing the ball after making 84.2% of his attempted passes in league football in the previous campaign (stats via whoscored).
Should The Villans Cut Engels Loose This Summer?
Engels has got incredible strength that allows him to win his fair share of aerial duels on the defensive end of the field. He is a decent tackler of the ball and can make a few crucial interceptions at the back. The Belgian sensation has a wealth of experience of playing at the highest level but now seems surplus to requirements at Villa Park.
The Kaprijke-born talent is clearly not part of Dean Smith’s first-team plans, so it is only fair to the player if the club decide to cut him loose this summer. At 26, he is currently in his prime and would benefit a lot from sealing a permanent move away from Villa Park in search of more playing time in the coming seasons.
Smith has already got Tyrone Mings, Kortney Hause and Ezri Konsa as his senior centre-backs while Sil Swinkels continues to develop in Aston Villa’s academy. Hence, the Villans can afford to sanction Engels’ departure this summer despite the player still having multiple years left to run in his contract.
